Background Information on Train Accidents

Were you or a loved one involved in a train derailment or other accident in Texas? You could be eligible to receive compensation. Here is some background information on train accidents and how you may be able to recover damages. Contact experienced Houston train accident lawyer Hector Longoria today to schedule a free consultation.

Background Information on Train Accidents

Houston may be a largely car-dependent city, but there is no denying that it is still a hub for mass transit. In addition to the byways and highways that criss cross Greater Houston, the metro area is also home to an array of railroads that shuttle commuters and vacationers from city to city—and even from state to state. The three lines of the METRORail stretch across Houston’s downtown core, spanning from the Astrodome to Northline and providing service to over 18 million riders each year. As one of the biggest cities in Texas, Houston serves as a midpoint for Amtrak’s rail line between San Antonio and New Orleans. In recent years, interest has skyrocketed in developing a bullet train line to connect Houston and Dallas, if not the entire Texas Triangle. Even though it is at the center of a car-dominant area, Houston has a role as a major destination for train lines both in-state and interstate.

Background Information on Train Accidents

Greater Houston’s residents have to bear in mind that they need to respect the rules of the road and of the rail to stay safe in the Bayou City. Still, train-related accidents are common both in Houston and Texas as a whole, and local personal injury attorneys are more than familiar with train injury cases. If you have recently been injured in an accident involving a train, the guidance of a qualified Houston train accident lawyer will be an asset in your civil suit, and you should not hesitate to seek representation from a Houston train accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.

Background Information on Train Accidents

Every form of mass transit carries with it a risk of accident, and Houston’s many rail systems, while well maintained and well managed, are not invulnerable. METRORail trains have gained a bit of notoriety since their rollout for their involvement in collisions with other motor vehicles. Because the Metropolitan Transit Authority chose to build the METRORail system as an above-ground light rail, as opposed to as a subway, Metro conductors have to coordinate with passenger and commercial vehicle drivers, and that coordination is not automatic. Many collisions between cars and METRORail trains stem from the cars’ drivers making illegal turns rather than from the conductors’ own doing, but that detail does nothing to change the fact that the accident rate of Houston’s “Wham-Bam Tram” is several times the national average.

At the state level, Texas’s railroads do not fare much better. In the year 2016, Texas ranked first in the United States in the number of accidents occurring at highway–railroad grade crossings, which are intersections between train tracks and roadways. Of the more than 2000 collisions that occurred that year between trains and cars, trucks, or pedestrians, about 11 percent happened within Texas’s expansive borders. Because Texas is continuing to dramatically expand economically and in population, despite the safety measures that train companies incorporate, this startling statistic may increase in the years to come.

Experienced Houston train accident lawyer Hector Longoria has worked for years with clients throughout the Houston area to recover financially and medically following a train accident. We would welcome the opportunity to give you legal advice or represent you in your case as you seek compensation.